Crispy chicken with roasted Jersey Royals potatoes and watercress stuffing

• chicken↗1 whole whole

  (about 1.65 kg)

• fine sea salt1 tbsp tbsp
• Jersey Royals↗1½kg kg
• chicken stock↗400ml ml

  (optional)

• cornstarch2-3 tsp tsp

  mixed with 1 tbsp water

• butter↗25g g

  plus extra for the dish

• olive oil↗2 tbsp tbsp

  plus extra for drizzling and roasting

• leek↗1 large large

  finely sliced

• garlic cloves↗2 pcs
• white wine↗150ml ml

  plus a splash

• sprigs of thyme↗small handful of small handful

  plus 2 tsp thyme leaves

• sage↗small handful of small handful

  finely chopped

• fresh sourdough bread↗250g g

  or country croutons

• parmesan↗40g g

  finely grated

• eggs↗2 pcs

  beaten

• крес↗100g

  грубо нарізаний

• лимон↗1

  цедра та розрізаний навпіл

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   The evening before cooking, remove all packaging from the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle sea salt over the entire chicken, inside and out, then place it on a tray or roasting pan. Leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. (This helps the skin become crispy during roasting.)

2. 2

   The next day, let the chicken come to room temperature while you prepare the stuffing. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat until it foams, then add the oil. Sauté the leek for 8 minutes until soft, then add the garlic, wine, thyme leaves and sage. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, season, set aside and let cool for a few minutes.

3. 3

   Grease the roasting pan with butter. In a large bowl combine the croutons, parmesan, eggs and watercress. Season, then add lemon zest and a little lemon juice. Add the cooled leek mixture and transfer to the prepared pan. Drizzle with a little oil and cover with foil.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 220 °C/200 °C with convection/gas 7. Spread the potatoes on a large roasting tray. Drizzle with a little oil, then toss with seasonings to coat. Pat the chicken dry again with a paper towel, then rub the skin with a little oil. Season with black pepper, then place the chicken in the centre of the tray among the potatoes. Add lemon halves and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the chicken and roast for 30 minutes.

5. 5

   After 30 minutes, place the stuffing on a rack in the oven beneath the chicken and reduce the temperature to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6. Baste the potatoes with the chicken juices, but do not baste the chicken, otherwise the skin will not stay crispy. Roast for another 30‑45 minutes until the chicken is done – the meat thermometer should read above 70 °C or the juices should run clear when the thickest piece is pierced. Halfway through, remove the foil from the stuffing so the top browns.

6. 6

   Let the chicken rest, uncovered, for 15‑20 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a warm bowl. Using a spoon, skim off excess fat from the tray, then pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil with a splash of wine, chicken stock and the cornstarch mixture, until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes a light gravy. Serve the chicken with the potatoes, stuffing, and sauce.